Tragic and violent events can leave many of us feeling shaken — even when they don’t directly affect our own lives. 

In the aftermath of devastating news, it’s common to experience a mix of emotions, from sadness and fear to anger, confusion, or numbness.

After what happened at Bondi Beach on Sunday, it’s important to care for your own wellbeing as well as knowing how to support your children during the chaos and uncertainty. 

Start With Yourself

When distressing news breaks, your body and mind often go into alert mode. This can show up as anxiety, difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, or feeling emotionally overwhelmed.

Mental health professionals encourage beginning with the basics:

• Try to maintain regular meals and sleep where possible
• Get outside or move your body gently
• Avoid relying on alcohol or other substances to manage stress

These small acts of care help regulate your nervous system and create a foundation for emotional processing.

Just as importantly, remind yourself that your reaction is normal. There is no “right” response to tragedy — and no expectation that you should be unaffected by it.

Be Mindful of Media Consumption

Staying informed matters, but constant exposure to traumatic headlines, commentary, and images can intensify distress.

If you notice rising anxiety:

• Find a trusted news source that doesn’t sensationalise the situation
• Limit how often you check the news
• Avoid repeated viewing of graphic or emotionally charged footage
• Take breaks from social media, where speculation and strong opinions can heighten fear

Choosing when and how you engage with the news can help protect your mental wellbeing.

Processing Strong Emotions

Fear and anger are common responses to violent events. These emotions don’t mean something is wrong with you — they reflect a desire for safety, justice, and understanding.

Healthy ways to process these feelings include:

• Talking with a trusted friend or family member
• Writing your thoughts down
• Engaging in calming practices such as deep breathing, prayer, or quiet reflection
• Acts of kindness and support — whether it’s checking in on a friend, volunteering, donating, or simply offering a listening ear — can help process feelings of fear, anger, or sadness.

If emotions feel overwhelming or persist over time, speaking with a counsellor or mental health professional can be a helpful and proactive step.

Helping Children Process

Children are highly sensitive to the emotions and events around them. Even if they haven’t seen the news themselves, they may pick up on your worry or hear fragments from friends or social media.

In response to the recent tragedy, parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson shared a social media post with guidance for parents on supporting children through distressing news. First, it’s important for parents to model calm and manage their own media consumption, as children notice how adults respond and feel safer when they see steady, composed reactions.

Some of the tips that Dr Justin Coulson provided included: 

• Be honest, but age-appropriate: Acknowledge what happened simply and calmly. For example: “There was a scary incident, but the police responded quickly, people are safe, and we’re safe.” Only give more details if children ask.
• Watch for their reactions: Anxiety may appear as clinginess, trouble sleeping, irritability, or regression. Offering extra closeness, predictable routines, and gentle reassurance can help children feel secure.
• Reassure them about safety: Emphasise that incidents like this are rare, and that families and communities are working to keep everyone safe.

By focusing on honest communication, reassurance, and close presence, parents can help children process unsettling news in a way that feels safe and manageable.

Finding Strength in Community

The Bible acknowledges sorrow and fear, while also reminding believers that God is near to the broken-hearted and present in times of trouble. What a comfort this is in times of uncertainty, fear and grief.

If distress begins to interfere with daily life — such as persistent anxiety, panic, withdrawal, or difficulty functioning — it may be time to seek additional help. Support is available through trusted friends, family, pastors, counsellors, or health professionals. In Australia, confidential services include:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000.

Reaching out for support is a sign of strength, not weakness, and reminds us that even in difficult times, we are not meant to face challenges alone.

Article supplied with thanks to 96five.

Feature image: Canva

When for KING + COUNTRY first penned the chorus to what would become ‘YES,’ they likely didn’t know the song would grow into a powerful genre-crossing anthem. 
But after Steven Malcolm wrote verses around the brothers’ melodic hook, the track found new life—bridging hip-hop and worship in a declaration of divine acceptance.

Article supplied with thanks to 96five.

Feature image: Sourced on Instagram and used with permission

While headlines often paint a picture of religious decline in Australia, new research is highlighting a different—and surprising—story: Australians are returning to Christianity in unexpected numbers.

Social research group McCrindle has just released An Undercurrent of Faith: Exploring Australians’ renewed relationship with Christianity, a study combining analysis of Census data with a nationally representative survey of over 3,000 Australians. 

The findings reveal that nearly 800,000 people who identified as having “no religion” in 2016 listed Christianity as their faith by the 2021 Census. That number jumps to 2.4 million over the past three Census periods.

Mark McCrindle, social researcher and founder of McCrindle, shares about the findings of their new report.

“Most people are aware of the headline story over the last decade has been the decline in Christianity,” Mark said.

“In fact, in 10 years from census data, it went from 61% of the population down to 44%. So that’s a pretty big drop. But amidst that, we’re seeing changes.”

One key driver of this shift is how Australians now define religion. People are less likely to claim Christianity based solely on upbringing or tradition and more likely to do so from a place of personal belief.

“Cultural Christianity is dissipating,” Mark said. 

“People who tick the Christianity box are more likely ticking up because of a personal conviction rather than sort of an ancestral connection with that faith.”

Not Just Migrants, and Not Just the Elderly

The report breaks common assumptions. 

While it’s often thought that migration is the major source of religious growth, the largest increase came from older Australians—those aged 55 and over. This group experienced a 48% increase in people moving from no religion to Christianity between 2016 and 2021, far outpacing their 15% population growth.

Younger generations are also navigating their spiritual journeys in nuanced ways. While Gen Z and Gen Y are less likely to identify as Christian overall, those who do are far more likely to be regular churchgoers. More than 70% of Gen Y and 68% of Gen Z Christians attend church at least monthly, compared to just 26% of Boomers.

“If you look at all of the baby boomers… only 26% of them go to church”, Mark said.

“They’re more likely to tick the box and not go to church than actually go to church. But when you get down to the youngest generation Generation Z… 68% of them go to church, so the point is at least 2/3 of young people who tick Christian in the census form follow that up by regular church attendance.”

Openness and Opportunity

The study also found that nearly half of Australians are open to spiritual conversations, especially among Gen Z and Gen Y. Religion may no longer be the taboo subject it once was.

Mark explained that churches and other ministries should be encouraged to see the number of young people who went from no religion to Christianity.

“One in six of them had had no Christian background at all… they clearly aren’t ticking the Christianity box because of the family influence.” Mark said.

“I think that highlights the fruitfulness of ministry in Australia even amongst young people”.

The data suggests that early exposure to faith can have a lasting impact, even if it takes years to bear fruit or if people drift away from their religious upbringing.

“Even if young people walk away from [faith] as they move from their teenage years into their 20-something years… that seed may be something they come back to… and reengage in the Christian faith.”

“Based on this data, there is going to be a drift away from that Christian faith if it’s not grounded in something solid in terms of belief and lifestyle”

While the decline in Christian identification is widely reported, the deeper story points to a nation still spiritually curious. 

Top reasons Australians are turning to Christianity include a desire for personal meaning, connection to something greater, and answers to life’s biggest questions.

Article supplied with thanks to 96five.

Feature image: Canva